Nigerian music video director TG Omori has revealed how the church played a pivotal role in his journey to becoming one of Africa’s most sought-after filmmakers.
In a post shared on Twitter, Omori explained that his passion for directing began during church drama nights, which provided a platform for him to explore both acting and directing. At the time, he noted, his neighbourhood had no social clubs or community theatres, making the church his only creative outlet.
“The church funded and advised me to pursue a career in filmmaking. The church gave me a platform to discover my acting and directing skills at drama nights when the hood or trenches had no social club or neighbourhood theatre houses,” he wrote.
Omori defended the role of religion in people’s lives, stressing that not everyone’s fulfilment comes from money or economic success. According to him, many individuals are drawn to faith through life experiences, and their choices should be respected.
“Life isn’t all about making money or chasing economic power. Some people find comfort and solace in spirituality or religion. Even the China you all speak of have monks and spiritualists who have found peace in their pursuit of eternal life with no interest in worldly wealth. A billion religious people can’t all be stupid. Just live and let live,” he stated.
Reflecting on his upbringing, Omori added that the total offerings his family gave to the church over a decade did not amount to more than N20,000, joking that his father spent more on beer during that period.
He concluded by affirming his faith, writing: “Jesus Christ will forever be my Lord and personal saviour, and I shall never be too cool to proclaim His goodness and mercies.”